Do we have to get a TV licence in France?

Anyone with a television in their home or a dispositif assimilé (comparable piece of equipment) must pay the French TV licence, contribution à l’audiovisuelle public (only one is due per household, even if you own more than one home or several TVs).

The tax service has previously clarified in official documents that this notably applies to all “equipment clearly identifiable as a television”. The officials also clarified that it makes no difference if you only use it for watching DVDs or whether or not it is actually set up to receive French TV.

Dispositifs assimilés are any equipment technically capable of receiving TV signals, such as certain video recorders and DVD players equipped with a tuner.

Computers with a TV card are not concerned and those who have an internet package including digital TV but who do not have a separate TV to watch it on are also not concerned.